Shattering the silence:

An open letter to the Philippine writing community

From the moment that sports blogger Jaemark Tordecilla brought to the light of public attention the fact that Alfred "Krip"
A. Yuson had plagiarized an article by GMA News Online sportswriter Rey Joble, entire portions of which appeared in a
piece under Yuson's name in the April 2011 issue of Rogue magazine, we, members of the Philippine reading public,
have followed the issue avidly and with great concern as to its resolution.

Our interest is rooted primarily in the fact of Yuson's prominent position in the cultural matrix. As Tordecilla pointed out
in his exposé, Yuson is a Hall of Fame awardee of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, arguably the
most prestigious literary distinction in the country. In addition, he has authored and/or edited several publications in
different genres, has won recognition for his work at home and abroad, evaluates the output of other writers for the
purpose of competitions and workshops—not least among them the annual Silliman University National Writers
Workshop, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year—teaches with the Department of English at Ateneo de
Manila University (ADMU), and helped found organizations like the Philippine Literary Arts Council (PLAC) and the
Manila Critics Circle (MCC). Finally, many of the texts that he has produced have found their way into the classroom as
standard readings, which likely secures a place for him in the canon of Philippine literature.

It need hardly be said that Yuson's stature as a writer, teacher, and gatekeeper affords him not only great power, but
also a commensurate degree of responsibility. We believe that he has shown himself undeserving of the one and
unequal to the other by virtue of how Yuson has thus far dealt with the matter in Tordecilla's blog and in his own weekly
The Philippine Star column. In these responses, rather than simply acknowledging the offense and apologizing for it, he
offers up excuses—his advanced age, deadline pressure, and exhaustion, among others—deployed in rhetoric that
belies his claims to contrition.

Moreover, Yuson seeks to confuse the issue by invoking the fraught relations between author and editor, in spite of the
fact that his engagement with these relations, as well as with the concept of plagiarism, lacks the self-reflexivity, rigor,
and intelligence required in order for it be tenable or acceptable. That he would resort to such subterfuge and at the
same time admit that he had deliberately omitted any indicators that he had lifted material from Joble, like reportorial
credits and purportedly "clunky" quotation marks, is breath-taking in its audacity and impunity. Surely integrity ought not
to be incinerated upon the altar of aesthetics.

It is in this regard that we commend GMA News Online for its decision not to renew Yuson's contract as editor at large.
It is in the same regard that we profess ourselves disturbed and outraged by the deafening silence with which the
writing establishment has met this controversy. The plagiarism of Yuson does not involve him alone: to the extent that
he is representative of—because deeply imbricated in—the larger world of Philippine letters, his act also necessarily
implicates the figures and structures that make up that world. The prevalent reluctance, nay, refusal among Yuson’s
peers to openly condemn him would seem to indicate cowardice at best, and complicity at worst. Neither speaks well of
our writers, journalists, scholars, and institutions—and may even be symptomatic of a more deeply entrenched cancer
of corruption in our cultural sector.

What is certain is this: allowing the scandal to fester in a season of indifference would be tantamount to a virtual
relinquishment of any moral authority and credibility that the Philippine writing community may have.

In view of the foregoing, we, the undersigned:

Condemn the act of plagiarism that Yuson committed. We reiterate what is generally accepted knowledge in
journalism and the academe: plagiarism consists of misrepresenting the work of others as one's own, and is considered
a heinous violation of ethical standards. Furthermore, when one lifts information or material from a source without the
appropriate quotation marks, formatting, and documentation, one has already committed plagiarism, and no amount of
laziness, carelessness, or forgetfulness can be admitted as an exculpatory factor. We also denounce Yuson's attempts
to evade accountability for his actions by forwarding arguments that, as the Center of Media Freedom and
Responsibility (CMFR) has pointed out, tend toward the legitimization of plagiarism. Finally, we decry Yuson's callous
and cavalier treatment of Rey Joble and the effort that he put into his work as a sportswriter.

Challenge the members of the Philippine writing community to make an unequivocal stand against Yuson's
plagiarism. At the very least, we expect Rogue magazine and The Philippine Star to emulate GMA News Online in its
commitment to integrity. Associate Justice Maria Lourdes P. Sereno, in her dissenting opinion on the Supreme Court
decision to exonerate her colleague Mariano del Castillo from charges of plagiarism, argues that when entities involved

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in the intellectual life of a culture uphold guidelines against plagiarism, these bodies "are not making themselves out to
be error-free, but rather, they are exerting themselves to improve the level of honesty in the original works generated in
their institution". It is true that valuable questions have been raised about the very notion of originality from various fields
of inquiry, but we contend that the specificity of the situation at hand calls for no such questions, and would invest it with
more profundity than it deserves.

Enjoin the institutions of Philippine letters to cooperate in order to educate their constituents and the wider
public about plagiarism. Contrary to Yuson, plagiarism is not a "blooming buzzword" but a chronic problem, which
many a teacher will no doubt confirm. Recognizing and avoiding plagiarism is a matter of acquiring particular skills,
which, as this incident would seem to illustrate, are not taught as well or as widely as they ought to be. The need for
these skills will become especially urgent as our society becomes increasingly knowledge-based. We presume to
suggest that Ateneo de Manila University, unfortunately entangled as it has become in various plagiarism disputes, take
the initiative in bringing students, teachers, writers, readers, and institutions together to work through this admittedly
complex matter. Regardless of who takes the lead, however, Yuson's offense constitutes a teachable moment for us all,
and should not be allowed to pass from our cultural memory unremarked and ignored for the sake of a spurious
harmony.

(SGD.) Karen Connie Abalos (SGD.) Mark Angeles (SGD.) Genevieve Aquino
Planet Philippines; Kilometer64 Poetry University of the
Illustrado Magazine; Collective Philippines Los Baños
University of the
Philippines Manila

(SGD.) Reginald S. Arceo (SGD.) Philip Jorge P. Bacani (SGD.) Noel Sales Barcelona
Alumnus, De La Salle Lawyer Editor-in-Chief, INANG
University-Manila BAYAN

(SGD.) Johnalene Baylon (SGD.) Brian Brotarlo (SGD.) Manuel Buencamino

Writer Writer Opinion columnist,
Business Mirror

(SGD.) Karl Bustamante (SGD.) Asia Flores Chan (SGD.) Liberty Chee
Editor, Marshall Cavendish Alumna, De La Salle Graduate Student,
International Singapore University-Manila National University of
Singapore

(SGD.) Charles Edric Co (SGD.) Adam David (SGD.) Cocoy Dayao

Alumnus, De La Salle Writer Editor-in-Chief, The Pro
University-Manila Pinoy Project

(SGD.) Christa I. De La Cruz
Student, University of the
Philippines Diliman
(SGD.) Erica Clariz C. De Los
Reyes
Alumna member, Heights;
Fellow, 6th Ateneo Institute
of Literary Arts and
Practices (AILAP) National
Writers Workshop
(SGD.) Karlitos Brian Decena
Journalism student,
University of the
Philippines Diliman;
Contributor,
Firequinito.com

Shattering the silence: An open letter to the Philippine writing community Page 2 of 4
(SGD.) Johann Espiritu
Alumnus, De La Salle
University-Manila
(SGD.) Jesser Eullo
Faculty member, De La
Salle University-
Dasmariñas
(SGD.) Russell Stanley
Geronimo
Alumnus, De La Salle
University-Manila; Fellow,
48th Silliman University
National Writers Workshop
(SGD.) Marie Rose G. Henson
Alumna, De La Salle
University-Manila
(SGD.) Jabin Landayan
Teacher
(SGD.) Aleck E. Maramag
Alumna, De La Salle
University; Fellow, 48th
Silliman University
National Writers Workshop
(SGD.) Jonathan Corpus Ong
Alumnus, Ateneo de
Manila University;
Sociologist, University of
Cambridge
(SGD.) Marck Ronald Rimorin
Writer; Blogger
Shattering the silence: An open letter to the Philippine writing community
(SGD.) Elise Estrella (SGD.) Anna Razel Estrella
Private citizen Alumna, De La Salle
University-Manila
(SGD.) Katrina Fernando (SGD.) Karen Mae Frondozo
Copy editor Graduate student,
University of the
Philippines Diliman
(SGD.) Lolito Go (SGD.) Ronald F. Gue
Kilometer64 Poetry Alumnus, De La Salle
Collective University-Manila
(SGD.) Ken Ishikawa (SGD.) Leonides C. Katigbak II
Private citizen Fellow, 6th Ateneo Institute
of Literary Arts and
Practices (AILAP) National
Writers Workshop
(SGD.) Gomi Lao (SGD.) Dean Lozarie
Creative Director Journalism student,
University of the
Philippines Diliman
(SGD.) Alessandra Rose F. (SGD.) Francis T. J. Ochoa
Miguel
Alumna member, Assistant Sports Editor,
Thomasian Writers Guild; Philippine Daily Inquirer
Fellow, 6th Ateneo Institute
of Literary Arts and
Practices (AILAP) National
Writers Workshop
(SGD.) Wilfredo B. Prilles, Jr. (SGD.) Nikki Erwin C. Ramirez
City Planning and Co-founder, NullPointer.ph
Development Coordinator
(CPDC), Naga City
(SGD.) Del Camille Robles (SGD.) Orlando Roncesvalles
Alumna, De La Salle Blogger, FOO Law and
University-Manila Economics
Page 3 of 4
(SGD.) Gerry Rubio (SGD.) Joanna Ruiz (SGD.) Faith Salazar
Publication Consultant, Editor, Ateneo de Manila ISBX Philippines
The CSC Statesman, University
Catanduanes State
Colleges

(SGD.) Jaime Oscar M. Salazar (SGD.) Maria Teresa M. Salazar (SGD.) Chris de Pio Sanchez
Graduate student, Alumna, De La Salle Consultant
University of the University-Manila
Philippines Diliman

(SGD.) Vincenz Serrano (SGD.) Nik Skalomenos (SGD.) Angela Stuart-Santiago

Ateneo de Manila Private Citizen Writer; Blogger
University

(SGD.) Jamila C. Sule (SGD.) Ergoe Tinio (SGD.) Martin Tinio

Teacher, On-Um.org; De Marketing Associate, Analyst
La Salle University- Adarna House
Dasmariñas

(SGD.) Jaemark Tordecilla (SGD.) Xenia-Chloe H.

Philippine Center for
Investigative Journalism
Villanueva
UP Quill; Fellow, 6th
Ateneo Institute of Literary
Arts and Practices (AILAP)
National Writers Workshop

April 28, 2011

Philippines

[NOTE: The signatures for this open letter were solicited from 9:00 PM (GMT +8) on April 26 until 5:00 PM (GMT +8) on
April 28.]

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